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The Bay (2012)
The Bay (2012)
2012 | Horror
7
5.6 (9 Ratings)
Movie Rating
I've never been the biggest fan of the found footage sub genre (there are of course some notable exceptions!) but there's something about The Bay that really gets under my skin. The documentary style provides a strong sense of realism, and the footage shown captures the panic of an outbreak with eerie accuracy, and with recent real world events, it's all feels a bit too familiar, especially when negligence from people in charge is thrown into the mix.
The way the town descends into panic is executed in a truly disturbing way. The gore is seldom but hard hitting. The resulting film is one that makes me question both swimming and drinking tap water ever again, because those parasites are real, and absolutely fuck that.
  
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Dean (6925 KP) rated REC (2007) in Movies

Jan 7, 2018  
REC (2007)
REC (2007)
2007 | Horror
8
7.5 (13 Ratings)
Movie Rating
One of the best found footage films (1 more)
Genuinely scary
Scary
A great little Spanish horror film that has a realism about it you just don't get in many horror films. This did so well the Western remake was done just a few months later and also got good reviews @Quarantine (2008) . It's very short at 70mins but brutal and shocking after a slow opening. Filmed from the point of view of a local TV camera man, it's a found footage film like Blairwitch and Cloverfield, making a documentary about the local fire service. They go out on a call to a local apartment block, beginning a series of shocking events.
There are 2 sequels that are worth checking out and a sequel to the American version as well.
  
The Pillars of the Earth
The Pillars of the Earth
Ken Follett | 2014 | Fiction & Poetry
8
7.6 (13 Ratings)
Book Rating
In Depth, long page turner
Contains spoilers, click to show
I'm not normally the sort of person who goes in for historical fiction. Especially those set in the Dark Ages, but gave it a go as had heard it was a modern 'must read'.
For something that was over 1000 pages, it never felt like a slog or a chore to read. The more you get in to it, the more you want to read in one sitting.
Admitted, the sex scenes are quite gratuitous and graphic at times. And, taken in a modern context, the continual dumping on the lead character can seem overly harsh, as if the author gets pleasure from torturing his lead. But read the book through the historical lens of it's 12th-13th Century setting, and this reduces the frustrations, and adds to the realism
  
The Dispatcher
The Dispatcher
John Scalzi | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Fantastic Narration
I got this book as part of the Audibles Free Monthly Originals program. I was extremely excited when I saw this novella on the list. I've always appreciated John Scalzi's writing so I was excited to try this book out. The narrator (Zachary Quinto) was phenomenal. I love listening to audiobooks because, in rare moments, the narrator brings the story to life. This is one of those moments. Zachary Quinto breathed life into this book, his voices and acting were fantastic!

The plot of this novella kept me on the edge of my seat. I enjoyed the blend of science fiction and realism. This book though science fiction felt real. I could see this take place in the future. It almost had an Altered Carbon feel to it in a way.
  
Ice Age (2002)
Ice Age (2002)
2002 | Animation, Comedy, Family
7
7.1 (41 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Animated films, I feel, do snow a lot better than the majority of live-action movies. Why? Well it’s much easier to render snow when you’re creating a film that is solely CGI, you don’t need to worry too much about realism or shooting on location.

Ice Age remains one of the all-time greats of the genre, and in my opinion, it’s a little underrated. It’s spawned numerous decent quality sequels and has a cracking cast and a light, witty script that’s perfect for adults and children alike to enjoy. The snow is part and parcel of the movie, so that’s why it avalanches its way to number four in this list. Get it, avalanches? I’m on a roll.

https://moviemetropolis.net/2018/02/28/best-snow-movies-top-5/
  
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Awix (3310 KP) rated Ikarie XB-1 (1963) in Movies

Jun 23, 2019 (Updated Jun 23, 2019)  
Ikarie XB-1 (1963)
Ikarie XB-1 (1963)
1963 | Sci-Fi
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
One of those movies which has clearly been influential but remains relatively little-seen, certainly in the original version. XB-1 and its crew (mostly good-looking young people, a few rugged old character actors, and a fairly dreadful robot prop) blast off for Alpha Centauri but must come to terms with the strains of long-haul spaceflight and various dangers (radiation, dangerous derelicts, and so on).

Arguably the missing link between Forbidden Planet and 2001: A Space Odyssey (yes, that's a bold claim), with a strange mixture of pulp SF tropes but also downbeat psychological realism. Notably good and interesting sets, photography, and a memorable avant-garde musical score too. The story is a bit episodic and not exactly pacey, but the rest of the film makes up for this.